CHAPTER 6
The One Most Powerful
...
The cell was cold, wet, and miserable – from the first moment that Merlin set foot inside, he'd felt like he was suffocating. There wasn't enough light coming from the tiniest window that he found above his head on the wall of the cell, and it was almost too cold. Thankfully, the wall at least served as a shield against the strong wind that had picked up again in the morning – while the tiny window wasn't very good at letting in light, it was instead a little too good at letting in a draft. But other than that and a lot of hay on the ground, there was nothing.
The dungeons were one place where Merlin had hoped he'd never find himself again. And look where he was now - hugging his legs, leaning against the corner where the two walls met, enveloped in hay and trying to keep himself warm.
Life was hard when he couldn't use magic.
And the only thing preventing him from using it were those damn handcuffs. Merlin didn't even know how long he'd been staring at them. Their presence was infuriating – they remained tight against his wrists, restricting his movement and preventing him from focusing on anything else. It was almost driving him mad.
Not only were his hands scratched - no matter how gently Leon tried to lock them around Merlin's wrists, it almost felt like they kept tightening their grip on him. Nothing felt worse than having them there.
There was some sort of enchantment used on them. Merlin came to that realization after a while – the way that they were constantly drawing his attention back to them was too strange. It meant that he couldn't even try to stop thinking about them. And the feeling that was slowly spreading from them through his entire body, slowly and agonizingly turning into a slight burning sensation, almost pain . . . Merlin didn't know how long he could last. Without being able to use his magic to get rid of them, he didn't even know how long it would take for him to start banging his head against the wall in frustration or trembling in pain if it started hurting more.
At least for now it was kind of bearable.
He sighed and dropped his head into his palms. What was he doing? He was about to die and all he cared about were some stupid handcuffs that might kill him, but not sooner than the fire. (He saw the pyre being built in the courtyard - he knew what was coming for him.)
There was one thing he had to at least try to turn his thoughts toward. Something far more important.
Arthur.
Because if Merlin was dead, who'd take care of him? Gaius wasn't as strong as he used to be and he might not be able to save Arthur if it was needed. He couldn't even travel with Arthur wherever he went, like Merlin used to do.
Merlin needed to stay alive for Arthur. But Arthur didn't care about him anymore, not like Merlin still did. Even if Arthur figured out that Merlin had been taken back to Camelot, Merlin didn't really count on the possibility of Arthur coming here in time.
He would die the very next morning. And even if Arthur made it back to Camelot in time, there was still a question if he'd even want to save Merlin.
Merlin would slap himself if he could right now. He shouldn't be thinking things like that - Arthur hadn't hurt him this morning after being woken by Merlin's magic, even though he had drawn his sword. Instead he'd taken care of his wound, cared for him – even with all of his anger. If that didn't prove that he still thought of Merlin as a friend and would try to save him, Merlin didn't know what else could.
But what could Arthur do? He couldn't do anything against Uther. He'd be forced to watch Merlin burn at the stake.
Merlin shook his head as he thought about that. He couldn't allow that to happen. But then again, what choices did he have? He was imprisoned and sentenced to death and without his magic, he was nothing. Not even Gaius would be allowed to visit him - Uther would surely have made sure of that. So there was no help coming from him either.
The young warlock sighed and closed his eyes. Then he took a deep breath and looked around his cell - this was the last room he'd see in his short life. The last view of Camelot he'd get - they didn't even stop at his favourite place in the forest as they traveled back to the castle. The view there would have been breathtaking, Merlin knew it.
As he closed his eyes again, he heard a rattling sound. As if someone was walking with a set of jangling keys in hand. Then someone cleared his throat and Merlin finally willed himself to lift his head, tearing his mind away from the handcuffs that his thoughts had unintentionally drifted towards again.
And there he was. Kaunos. Standing in front of him with that satisfied smirk on his face again.
"We haven't had a chance to talk yet," he said.
Merlin eyed him up and down, noticing nothing interesting about him, only the book that he was holding with his arm against his torso. His eyes were fixed on Merlin and Merlin alone. It gave Merlin chills to even look at him.
"I don't think I want to talk to you," he replied.
"Well, I don't think you have a choice."
That was true. Merlin sighed and nodded, putting his hands down to his lap and stretching out his legs in front of him. Thank god his legs weren't tied up as well.
"Finally." Kaunos smiled and, to Merlin's surprise, sat down in front of the bars. When he turned back at Merlin, he looked pleased. "Don't think I'm afraid of you - I'm not."
"I didn't think you were."
"Those handcuffs are amazing, aren't they?" he smiled, ignoring Merlin completely. "The people who made them for me did a magnificent job. This is only the second time I've used them, though - but they do seem to work quite wonderfully."
Merlin pursed his lips. "They're annoying," he told him, "and if you didn't know, they hurt."
Kaunos raised his eyebrow, much like Gaius. Without a word, he opened the book he was holding and wrote something down with a quill that had been hidden between the pages.
Merlin raised his chin a little, but he wouldn't be able to read anything Kaunos was writing from that distance. He was sitting in the farthest corner of the cell after all.
Kaunos then nodded and looked at Merlin again. "How long have you been in Camelot?"
"Why should I answer any of your questions?" Merlin asked instead.
Kaunos nodded again, with a slight smile on his lips. "We both know you're going to die tomorrow. You've got nothing to lose. So why not answer a few simple questions?" he shrugged at him. "The king told me that you've been a manservant to the prince for over two years now. Correct?"
"Why are you asking me when you know the answer anyway?" Merlin pointed out. Before Kaunos could give him any answer though, his stomach made a loud growl.
"You're hungry," Kaunos observed. "You won't be getting another meal, though. You'll last until tomorrow morning." Merlin brought his knees closer, resting his chin on them as he listened to the witchfinder. "Now, another question. Why are you in Camelot? Why are you here, the only place that would kill you if you let your magic slip?"
"Well, it's a beautiful castle," Merlin said. He didn't want to reveal the fact that his mother sent him to Camelot. They might come looking for her too, and he couldn't allow that. But it made him realize that . . . He would not get the chance to say goodbye to her.
"Is that why you were planning to take over the throne?"
Merlin frowned. "I never planned to do that," he said. "It's my home and I like living here. Why would I try to destroy it? Besides, I'm not fit to be a king, I'd much rather be a normal citizen."
"And yet you work for the prince," Kaunos told him, narrowing his eyes. "That's suspiciously close to the royal family."
"I had no intention to work for Arthur when I came here," Merlin rolled his eyes.
"Then why do you?"
"Coincidence?" He knew it was destiny, but Kaunos would never understand the lengths Merlin was willing to go to for Arthur. He'd never understand their relationship. Not even now, when Merlin had destroyed it with his lies.
"What happened?"
"I saved his life," Merlin nodded slightly. "And the king made me Arthur's manservant as a reward. I didn't agree at first, and neither did Arthur, but . . . "
"But?" Kaunos demanded.
This was a chance. Well, a slim chance, but a chance nonetheless. Kaunos was listening to him and writing a few things down as he talked. He seemed to believe him. Maybe if he told him how much he cared about Arthur . . .
Merlin looked Kaunos in the eye and said, "But now we're friends and I'd never do anything to hurt him."
"Maybe not you, but what about your magic?" Kaunos smirked.
"What do you mean?"
"Merlin, magic is evil. You might think that it's good, but you'd be wrong. It is an evil source of power, capable of only destruction."
Merlin stood up once he heard that. "That's not true," he told him with a frown. "Magic is neither good nor bad, it's only a power. And I decide to use it for good, to protect Arthur."
Kaunos' smirk didn't even flicker.
"I'm telling the truth!" he yelled. He knew he wasn't helping the situation anymore. If he ever even had been.
"Even if you managed to use magic to heal someone for example, it wouldn't change what magic is at its core. It corrupts the person that wields it." Kaunos seemed pretty convinced he was right.
"Look, I care about Arthur, okay? I care about him and I know that one day he's going to be a great king. And I'd never hurt him, ever! I even saved his father many times, even though I didn't want to - I did it for Arthur."
"Interesting," Kaunos noted, but did not stand up. "You don't address your prince properly," he mused. Then he wrote something down again, with his eyes raised.
"What did you write down?" Merlin asked, frowning. Suddenly, his desperation was gone, replaced by panic. Did Kaunos figure out how Merlin felt about Arthur? Was that what he'd written down? Would Arthur read it?
"That is not of your concern," Kaunos replied without raising his head.
Merlin started walking closer to him and the bars to look down into his diary.
"Hey," someone called from the door, his voice firm. When Merlin looked up, he found that the voice belonged to a guard. He didn't even notice that someone else had been in the room with them, keeping an eye on him. "Stand back."
Merlin stopped and looked down at Kaunos from where he was standing. Kaunos was already looking at him, still sitting with a smirk on his face. But at least now Merlin could see that Kaunos was writing in red ink for some reason.
"This kingdom is poisoned with magic, Merlin," Kaunos said, "and it's everywhere. I can almost feel it. And you're quite powerful, I must admit, but you can't be the only source of sorcery in Camelot. Tell me, do you know of anyone else?"
Merlin's mind immediately went to Morgana, but she was still gone, somewhere with Morgause. She couldn't be the other source. And even though there was plenty of creatures of magic attacking Camelot and evil sorcerers that Merlin had to defeat, none of them stayed for long. Merlin always saved the day.
So he shook his head. "There's no one else."
"Hm," Kaunos fished out a paper from the back of his book. "This is a record of every magical activity in this kingdom. It's all mainly just creatures of magic, including the great dragon that used to be trapped under the castle," he said, "so let me clarify the question: is there anyone or anything of magical nature that you know about in Camelot?"
Merlin shook his head again, although he was surprised that Uther told him about the dragon. "No," he answered.
"Alright then," Kaunos nodded. "Where did you get that staff?"
"Why would I tell you? You probably already know where I got it, thanks to the king. He knows the answer, after all."
"So it did belong to the quick visitors of Camelot, lady Sophia and her father Aulfric?"
"Yes."
"And how did you get it?" Kaunos continued with his rather tiring questioning.
"Sophia tried to enchant Arthur and sacrifice him to the Sidhe. She herself was a Sidhe, and so was her father - and according to what I'd overheard, they both wanted to earn passage back to their old home. But the price for them to return was a prince's soul – Sophia wanted to sacrifice Arthur to pay it. And I couldn't allow that," Merlin quickly explained. "So I used the staff to kill her father and then her, and I saved Arthur, who'd already almost drowned in a lake." He looked at Kaunos again. "See? I don't want to harm him, I'm not evil."
"I really doubt that," Kaunos only cleared his throat.
Merlin sighed loudly and closed his eyes. This was ridiculous. If he was supposed to die, why not already? These handcuffs were slowly becoming worse than the fire. "Argh," he sighed in frustration and pain as he held his wrists close to his stomach.
Kaunos observed him with a frown on his face. Then something in his expression changed and he stood up abruptly.
"Have you ever lived with the druids?" he asked. His voice was uncharacteristically high and yet rough.
Merlin was a bit confused, but he shook his head.
"Have you heard of-" he stopped himself and glanced behind him at the guard, who straightened himself up, staying alert. Kaunos looked back at Merlin and then into his book. He closed it. "What did you say about the prince's future again?"
Merlin frowned at that and tried to remember. "Uh, that he's going to be a great king one day? And that's why I don't want to hurt him, don't you see? I'm not-"
"No," Kaunos cut him off, his eyes wide. Then he looked down at Merlin's wrists. Merlin was still clutching them close to his stomach – the handcuffs seemed to be growing tighter every minute, the painful discomfort only increasing. It was a light throbbing that he knew would only get stronger with time.
"Those aren't supposed to hurt," Kaunos mumbled under his breath, but Merlin heard him.
"What?"
"Keep an eye on him," Kaunos ordered the guard who nodded, and then he ran out of the room. Merlin could still hear him running up the stairs as he went to sit down to the corner again.
The cell was still cold and wet, only now, Merlin felt even more confused. Kaunos had run away as if he'd realized something important, and Merlin couldn't for the love of Camelot figure out what it might have been.
The guard kept staring at him with his one hand on the hilt of his sword, and Merlin only sighed.
He turned away from the guard and lay down, gathering the hay around his legs and back to keep him warm. Then he closed his eyes and tried to get some rest.
He'd been traveling the whole night, after all. And who knew what would happen once Kaunos returned.
xoXÖXox
It took Arthur several hours and the entire morning to finally get a glimpse of the white castle he called home. He stopped on the cliff at the end of the forest, just looking at Camelot and wondering if he was too late. But he didn't see any smoke - neither white nor black, which meant that Merlin was still alive.
He hated that he had to think about that. About the smoke. It made the reality of the entire situation even more apparent. Merlin had been taken, arrested, and almost definitely sentenced to death – and Arthur would have to find him, before it was too late. And then . . . Arthur would have to find some way to rescue him, or perhaps stop the execution. Which was probably going to be the hardest thing, judging by his father's opinion about magic.
Arthur kicked his horse and started down the road that led straight to Camelot. He should be there in about half an hour, but he still wanted to go faster, so he urged his horse to speed up.
Of course, he still felt betrayed by Merlin. To be honest, he had no idea what he'd do once he rescued him - and that was a once and not an if. Because he would never forgive himself if something happened to Merlin. But once he rescued him, he didn't know what to do.
Should he run away with Merlin and never return to Camelot?
Should he stay in Camelot and let Merlin escape, never seeing him again?
Arthur couldn't even think about the latter. Leaving Merlin and never being able to see his smile again . . . it felt like an impossible scenario. He'd miss Merlin with all his heart - he was still in love with him, after all - but Merlin was the traitor here, even though he claimed he used his magic for good.
One thing was sure - Arthur needed more information. He needed to know what exactly Merlin used his magic for, how he learned it, and he needed to know more about magic itself. And about Merlin. Now that he knew he had magic . . . He felt like he didn't know anything about him.
He felt as if everything Merlin had ever told him had been a lie.
Arthur hoped that what they had had between them right before everything changed - the way Merlin used to smile at him, smirk at him, watch him while he dressed and blush - he hoped that that was real. That that was the real Merlin and that once they figured everything out and fixed their entire relationship and maybe even started over . . . He hoped that they could get back to how things used to be only two days ago.
It took him less time than he'd thought to get to the main gate. The first thing that caught his attention was the huge pyre that the knights were building. The base was already half finished and they were collecting more wood from the forest to finish it. It made Arthur's throat close tightly.
He dismounted his horse before they even came to a halt, quickly tossing the reins to a stable boy that rushed up to greet him.
The first person he saw was Sir Leon. He looked incredulous as he made his way to Arthur.
"Sire," he bowed his head slightly, "if you don't mind me asking, where have you been? The king and knights had been looking for you, including myself."
Arthur paled slightly. He hadn't thought about this part - having to lie because he'd already decided that turning Merlin in was not an option.
"Well, I was on a hunting trip," he frowned at Leon. "I thought- I thought my father knew that."
Leon only shook his head, "No, we all thought you'd gone with Merlin."
Arthur tried to force a frown and then shook his head, hoping that his expression was one of confusion. "I have to speak to my father, where is he?" he asked instead. If there was one man capable of stopping an execution, then it was him.
Leon nodded and stepped aside, bowing his head, "he should just be finishing a council meeting, sire."
"Thank you," Arthur nodded and left Leon on the courtyard.
As he made his way up the stairs to the balcony halls in the castle above the courtyard, he was both glad and terrified that he already saw Uther approaching him. When the king noticed him, he seemed angry. Arthur swallowed, but prepared himself for another lie.
"Arthur!" Uther strode over to him. Two lords were standing behind him, but he raised his hand and they left them alone in the hall. Arthur took a deep breath as he stood in front of his father. "Where have you been? I sent a searching party after you and the sorcerer, after Kaunos had told me he had seen you leave Camelot."
"I was on a hunting trip," Arthur frowned, trying to look convincing. "And I told Merlin to tell you . . . What sorcerer? And where's Merlin?"
Uther's expression changed immediately. He motioned for Arthur to move, so they started walking wherever Uther wanted and Arthur walked by his side. "Merlin, your manservant . . . is a sorcerer, Arthur."
"What?"
Uther nodded. "Kaunos found a strange magical staff under his bed and he himself didn't deny it. He managed to escape into the forest, but we found him and now he's imprisoned, awaiting execution."
Arthur was silent for a moment, trying to decide on what to say. "Um, when is he going to be executed?"
Uther stopped and turned to him. "Tomorrow morning," he answered.
Arthur swallowed, distinctly aware of his heart pounding faster against his rib cage. He had to save Merlin somehow. He couldn't just watch him die, not even after everything that's happened. This was exactly why Merlin had left Camelot and left Arthur only with a letter – to prevent all of this from happening. But now? He was captured and rotting in a dirty cell, used for thieves and criminals. He was no such thing. He was a sorcerer and Arthur needed so many of his questions answered, but Merlin did not belong into the dungeons.
He opened his mouth and then closed it. Looking at Uther, at his face and the satisfaction in his eyes . . . It all meant one thing - he could never be persuaded into letting Merlin go. He'd never pardon him, even if he knew that Merlin had saved his life – even if he knew that Merlin had saved Uther's own life. Arthur was sure that if Merlin had been protecting him all this time, then he'd probably been protecting Uther too.
"Where is he now?" he asked instead, trying to force his features into a scowl of anger. "I'd like to talk to him."
Uther narrowed his eyes. "Do you really think that is a good idea?"
Arthur nodded. "He betrayed me," he told him, deliberately raising his voice with pretend fury. "and I need to see him, need an explanation."
"He's a sorcerer, Arthur - no explanation he could give you would make any sense."
"Where is he?" Arthur repeated his question and was relieved when Uther finally nodded.
"East wing of the castle, the only occupied cell. You'll find him there."
"Thank you, father," Arthur turned away, but Uther grabbed his forearm.
"Be careful, Arthur," he told him. "He's powerful."
Arthur nodded and turned away from Uther, every step taking him inevitably closer to seeing Merlin's face again. God, he couldn't even imagine how hard it must have been, how Merlin must have been feeling - to sit in an empty cell awaiting execution must be horrible. To know that you were going to die in a couple of hours. But thankfully, Arthur still had the rest of the day and the night to work on the escape plan. It was barely afternoon. Thank god Arthur woke up early today and had more time to get to Camelot.
As soon as he moved far enough away from his father, he sped up his pace and, in a few minutes, reached the dungeons. He went down the stairs and was met by the guards.
"Sire," they mumbled, both bowing.
"I'm here to see M- the sorcerer," he told them, clearing his throat. The guards looked at each other, a little unsure, and Arthur raised his voice with authority. "My father sent me. Now let me through."
The guards finally stepped aside, muttering, "Yes, sire," and Arthur entered the chamber that held all of the cells. The first one was where Merlin was - he could see his small body curled into a ball, lying on the ground, facing the cold stone wall. It was heartbreaking to see him like this, and Arthur felt all his previous anger leave his body. How could he hate Merlin? How could he ever hate him?
The guards had followed Arthur through – he felt their presence at his back and glanced back at them, saying, "Leave us alone."
"But, sire-"
"Leave us." Arthur turned around to face them, frowning pointedly. They nodded and left, closing the door. As soon as they were gone, Arthur closed his eyes briefly and sighed. Only then did he dare turn around.
Merlin was already looking at him. He was still lying on the ground, with his back turned to Arthur and there was slight fear and relief in his eyes. "Arthur," he whispered with a ghost of a smile on his lips. Then his smile disappeared though and he turned away again.
"Merlin," Arthur sighed and walked over to the cell, grabbing the bars tightly. He didn't even know what to say now that he was finally with Merlin again. Should they talk about his magic? Should they pretend that the previous night had never happened? That would be very hard to do, considering that Merlin was locked up.
"I didn't think you'd arrive so early," Merlin muttered. "Or at all."
"It might surprise you, but even after your betrayal, I don't really want you to die," Arthur admitted.
Merlin shrugged. What Arthur heard next sounded suspiciously close to a muffled sniff. It was heartbreaking to see Merlin like this.
"There's not much you can do," Merlin told him. Arthur could barely hear him. "Your father already ordered your knights to build a pyre - I'm going to burn tomorrow morning."
"You sound like it doesn't even bother you," Arthur frowned. Merlin just sounded . . . defeated. Tired. He was not like the Merlin that Arthur had thought he knew, not at all.
Arthur stole a glance over his shoulder, checking the door – still closed – before turning back to Melrin, lowering his voice. "I plan to get you out. Somehow."
"Good luck with that . . . Kaunos and Uther made sure that there's no way for me to escape. They both want me dead," he sighed and slowly sat up, turning towards Arthur and leaning against the wall. His eyes were slightly red-rimmed now and he held up his arms to show Arthur that his hands were tied up. He was cuffed. "These prevent me from using magic," he sighed. His voice and breath were shaking as he continued talking. "There's no point in having any hope, Arthur. I betrayed you and the kingdom, and now I'm going to pay for my crimes." He closed his eyes tightly for a moment and sniffled again.
Arthur pushed his face into the bars, wanting to get even the slightest bit closer. He couldn't believe his eyes were beginning to sting. He blinked to get rid of the tears. "Didn't you say you used your magic to help me?" he tried to reason with him. A Merlin that only wanted to give up was not the Merlin he needed right now.
"You believe me?" Merlin asked instead.
Arthur was silent for a moment, but then he nodded. "I know you'd never hurt me," he admitted. "Just like I know that you don't want to die, not really. You won't give up just like that. Even though I say so often, you're not actually a girl's petticoat."
That made Merlin laugh slightly. But then his eyes filled with more tears and his lip was trembling. He tried to bite it down to keep it from shaking, but it wasn't helping. It was as if the reality of his quickly approaching execution had only just now begun to dawn on him.
"I'll find a way," Arthur reassured him. "I'll find a way, I promise, and then we'll talk about everything."
"I hope you don't fall asleep in that conversation - there's a lot to talk about," Merlin joked, smiling slightly. Arthur was relieved to see that Merlin hadn't lost all hope, not completely. And that he trusted him with this even when previously it seemed like he didn't.
"Arthur?" Merlin asked weakly.
"Yeah?"
"Can we . . . " Merlin bit down his lip and then looked up at him with his glassy eyes. He used his both hands to first point at himself and then at Arthur. "Can we fix this? Even after everything I've done? Even after all those lies and secrets? Can things just . . . be like they used to?"
Arthur took a second to think about that. Yes, he felt betrayed and he blamed Merlin for it and if Merlin wasn't about to die, he'd be angrier than ever before. But he knew there were way too many unanswered questions and things he needed to understand and ultimately, he wanted nothing more than to get back to normal, to how they used to be. But he wasn't sure if they could get there. At least not at first, not until they talked about everything they needed to talk about.
"I don't know," said Arthur, shaking his head. When Merlin closed his eyes and looked down, Arthur added, "but I hope they can."
"I'm sorry," Merlin told him.
Arthur only shook his head again. "We'll talk about that later," he said. "Now we need to work out how to save you."
Merlin nodded.
xoXÖXox
As soon as Kaunos left the dungeons, he headed for his chambers. Once he was there, he closed the door, dropping his diary onto the table and opening it to a marked page. Hurrying over to his library, he found the few books that he needed and brought them back to the table, taking a deep breath.
Could this really be happening? Could it be that his life goal was so close? That the one thing he wished to find the most was sitting in the dungeons of Camelot, right beneath the castle?
He needed to be sure. But if it was true, if he was right about this . . . Then he needed to tell the king immediately.
"Here we go," he mumbled to himself as he looked into the diary. He had used red ink to write into it because he already knew that Merlin was a sorcerer. He quickly skimmed over the questions that he'd asked him and over the answers that he'd written down.
Merlin's been a servant to prince Arthur for over two years. Why was he in Camelot? Kaunos didn't know the answer to that, but he planned to visit Merlin again. Merlin also claimed he had never tried to take over the throne and that he just liked living in Camelot because it was a beautiful castle. Kaunos smirked at the mere thought of that - it was obviously a lie. But he might just have an answer to that if his assumptions were correct . . . Merlin also claimed he didn't know of any other sorcerers in Camelot. That was another rather obvious lie, but Kaunos' research was thorough and if there was any other sorcerer living in this kingdom, he'd know it as soon as he entered their house.
Merlin told him how he came to have that Sidhe staff. That was probably the only thing that Kaunos believed Merlin was telling him the truth about because Uther had told him about Sophia and Aulfric too. And according to their appearance, as witnesses had described for him, they were clearly Sidhe themselves.
Kaunos opened the folded piece of paper that he'd left in the diary, scanning down the page. It was the record of any magical activity in Camelot ever since the Great Purge. What was most interesting was that almost none was found until Merlin arrived and started working as the prince's servant. Could he himself be the source for all those creatures? Excluding the dragon, who'd been imprisoned on the king's orders?
When Kaunos asked him, Merlin said that he'd never lived with the druids. He looked genuine when he answered and he didn't look like he knew much about them, but . . . That all fitted the prophecy rather well, didn't it?
There were two very interesting things that Merlin told him or showed him. First of all, he said that he used magic for good and that he decided to use it to protect Arthur. He said that he knew, not thought, but knew, that Arthur was going to be a great king one day. And he also said that the handcuffs were hurting him, when they weren't supposed to hurt him at all, unless he tried to use magic. They were painless - a fact that Kaunos was informed about from the man who had made them for him. No sorcerer was ever going to be able to use magic with them on their hands, so why should they hurt them, too? They were mere people, corrupted by magic.
But Merlin had been acting differently – staring at the handcuffs, scratching at them, holding his hands close to his body and closing his eyes as if in pain. That wasn't pretending, Kaunos would know if he was lying. This was real. And it meant that Merlin wasn't just a sorcerer, he was special. More powerful than Kaunos had expected.
For there was only one person that would ever feel pain while wearing the handcuffs. Only one person that Kaunos knew of.
Emrys.
And it all fitted into the prophecy suspiciously well.
Kaunos opened one of the many books that he'd gathered over the years about the great prophecy of Emrys and the Once and Future King. Uther couldn't have been the king, Merlin himself said that he only saved his life for Arthur. Which meant that Arthur was the legendary king that would one day unite the lands of Albion. Uniting the lands of Albion was a fine result of this – but the Once and Future King was also destined to bring magic back to the land, and that was something that Kaunos had to stop.
Magic was dangerous and the world would be much better off without it corrupting the people.
The witchfinder looked inside the book and flipped through the pages that he's read so many times. They all mainly contained phrases like, "Emrys is the most powerful sorcerer to ever walk the earth," or, "he is magic itself, and magic is the fabric of this world. He is the one who will help the Once and Future King unite the lands of Albion," or even, "Emrys' magic is the strongest magic in the world; he not only controls it, but he has been born with it and carries such power that could change the world for the better."
All Kaunos was taking from all of that was that Merlin was like a fire. Once he got too big, there was no stopping him.
And that was why this fire had to go out as soon as possible.
There was no other way. He had to tell the king.
xoXÖXox
Gwen was standing on the courtyard, frozen as she watched the knights build the pyre for her friend. The first friend that had ever truly understood her. She grew up only with her brother as a friend, and sometimes young Leon would join them, but as they all grew older and had more work to do, more responsibilities, the world became lonelier. Especially after Elyan left.
After that, she found a friend in Morgana. But now that she was gone . . . Merlin was the only one she felt comfortable talking to. Merlin, Gaius and sometimes Arthur.
But now . . . as she stared at the pyre, transfixed, it became clear to her that that friendship was soon going to end. It would be a horrible end for Merlin.
She covered her mouth with her hand as she held back a sob. She had work to do - she was needed in the kitchen and later with the laundry maidservants, but the sight of the pyre made her forget all that. She couldn't help but imagine Merlin standing in the middle of it, with flames all around.
Gwen still remembered how it felt when she had been sentenced to death for a crime she'd never committed. She felt alone, devastated, hopeless, and yet she was saved and survived. She knew exactly how Merlin was feeling right now, sitting in that cold cell, alone.
She couldn't leave him there like that. She couldn't let him die such a cruel death when all he'd ever done was help people. Gaius had told her about what Merlin did for the kingdom, for her and for Arthur. He hadn't had the time to tell her everything that had happened over the past two years, but he told her a lot.
And Gwen couldn't have been prouder of Merlin if she tried.
Which was exactly why she had to save him. Magic was only a power, that's what Gaius had told her. There was no evil in it - only in the hearts of men. Gwen understood that now.
And Merlin's heart couldn't be purer.
She clenched the basket in her hands and decided to take it back to the laundry room. As soon as she left it there, she hurried down into the dungeons, wondering how she was going to get to Merlin when he was publicly proclaimed a sorcerer and she was merely a servant. The guards would never let her there. The Witchfinder, Kaunos, made sure that was impossible.
But she didn't stop as she descended the stairs.
As she had expected, the guards immediately noticed her.
She cleared her throat. "I'd like to speak to the prisoner," she told them. "Please," she added just to be polite. But that wasn't going to pay her a way inside.
"The king forbade it, girl," one of them said as he crossed his arms across his chest.
Gwen pursed her lips. What was she going to do? She couldn't even pretend she was bringing food to Merlin because she didn't have anything with her and lying was a sure way to get herself into the cell as well.
"Let her through," she heard a familiar voice from behind the guards. They both turned around and Prince Arthur emerged from the shadows.
"But, sire, this is against-"
"Let her through," Arthur raised his voice again. Their eyes met and he nodded at her. She made a step forward, staring at the guards, but they only stepped aside. Gwen sighed with relief and rushed over to Arthur, who led her straight to Merlin.
"Thank you," she smiled at the prince. He only nodded. "I'm glad you found him, but . . . I wish circumstances were different."
"Me too," Arthur agreed with her.
"Gwen?" she heard Merlin's voice from the cell. She finally stepped closer to take a better look into the cell – and her eyes filled instantly with tears.
Merlin was sitting on the floor, his hands cuffed, and he looked so miserable that she wanted to cry even more. Of course he was miserable – he was awaiting execution. Her friend was awaiting execution.
"You came?" he added.
Gwen swallowed as she nodded. "Yes, of course," she tried to smile. "You're my friend."
"I'm sorry, Gwen, I should have-"
"No, it's okay, Merlin," she shook her head as she wiped away her tears. "It's okay, I understand why you never told me. This place must be very hard to live in when you . . . When you're – you."
Merlin only nodded with a slight smile on his lips.
"We need to stop this," Gwen then turned to Arthur. She noticed that his eyes were glistening more that usual in the gloom – even he was not immune to tears. Then she turned back to Merlin. "Can't you use – well, magic?"
Merlin raised his hands to show her the handcuffs and shook his head. "They're somehow blocking my magic, I can't use it."
Gwen nodded. "Kaunos seems to be well equipped."
"He came prepared," Arthur rubbed his chin and sighed. "What else does he have?"
"He brought a diary here to interrogate me," Merlin told them. "For some reason, he used red ink, I don't know why."
"What did he write down? Did you see?" For some reason, Gwen noticed that Merlin's cheeks turned slightly pink. He shook his head immediately after and looked down. "I don't know, I couldn't get close enough to see."
"Well, what did he ask?" Arthur suggested.
"How did I get that staff-"
"What staff?" Arthur frowned at him.
"They found it in Merlin's room," Gwen explained. "I was there," she added and looked down sadly.
Merlin closed his eyes tightly and nodded. "I was stupid and forgot about it. I don't use it often, to be honest, I've only used it once or twice."
"What staff is it?" Arthur repeated his question.
"It's a magical staff from the Sidhe fairies," Merlin sighed and sat down in front of the entrance to his cell, crossing his legs. "I took it from Sophia and her father Aulfric, before saving your life when they tried to kill you." He looked at Arthur. "You probably don't remember – the girl tried to drown you as a sacrifice, and she almost did. You were under her spell until the next morning."
Arthur unfolded his arms on his chest and frowned, stepping closer. "But you told me you had knocked me out with a stick!"
Merlin smirked at that. "I lied."
"Unbelievable," sighed Arthur, his expression incredulous.
"I'm sorry," Merlin tried, but Arthur only raised his hand to shut him up. Gwen watched them in silence and waited until Arthur turned to them again. When he did, he took a deep breath and looked at Merlin, whose eyes were filled with regret. "We have to focus on how to save you now. My father can't be reasoned with, so that's a dead end."
Gwen nodded sadly and brushed away more tears as she looked down at Merlin's tied wrists. It looked quite painful. "And we don't have much time."
They all jumped slightly when the door to the dungeons opened violently and Gwen quickly stepped aside behind Arthur as soon as she saw who was coming inside. It was Uther with Kaunos in tow. Merlin stood up as fast as he could, hindered by the handcuffs that bound his wrists, and they all fell silent.
Gwen was terrified.
First of all, Uther's eyes landed on her. "What is she doing here?"
"I let her through," Arthur immediately defended her.
Uther only shook his head and then ignored them both, stepping closer to Merlin in the cell. He had hatred in his eyes as he looked at Merlin, and yet he smiled. "So it is you," he said. As Gwen noticed, Kaunos was also smiling behind him. "Emrys."
"What?" Arthur frowned as he unfolded his arms on his chest again and stepped closer to his father. "What are you talking about?"
"Silence!" Uther only raised his hand. Arthur closed his mouth shut and looked together with Gwen at Merlin. His eyes were wide and he looked more terrified than all of them combined. He shook his head slowly, muttering something like "no".
"Today is a time to celebrate," Uther smirked. "You, Emrys, are supposedly the most powerful sorcerer to have ever been." Gwen's eyes widened as she glanced at Merlin in disbelief. "And with you, magic will die."
"He not only has magic," Kaunos added, "he is magic. I'm not sure what that means precisely, but it's been written over and over in every book that I found on the subject."
Both Gwen and Arthur stared at Uther, stunned, before turning back to Merlin again. Behind the bars, Merlin looked like he might just die at that very moment, right in front of them.
But his execution was sooner than he thought.
"You will die tonight," Uther declared maliciously, that triumphant smirk still on his face. "And all magic in Camelot will die with you."